80's UK Hip Hop: Bad Meaning Good (1987)

The Documentary "Bad Meaning Good" appeared on the BBC back in 1987 and has gone on to become a seminal document of the fledgling London Hip Hop scene. Shown here in its entirety, it features Tim Westwood, as well as key fingers in the scene at the time.


British hip hop, usually UK Rap, is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as Brithop, and is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music. British hip hop was originally influenced by the New York hip hop scene, with British rappers often adopting American accents in the early years.


As in the US, British hip hop emerged as a scene from graffiti and breakdancing, and then through to DJing and rapping live at parties and club nights, with its supporters predominantly listening to and influenced by American hip hop.


Unlike in the US, it should be noted that the British hip hop scene was cross-racial from the beginning. This is due to the fact that various ethnic groups in Britain tend to not live in segregated areas, even in areas with a high percentage of non-white individuals. These places allow youth to share a cultural interchange with one another including musical genres such as hip hop.